The invention relates to the removal and installation of combustion flow sleeves for a gas turbine engine. In particular, the invention relates to a tool to assist technicians remove and install combustion flow sleeves.
A combustion flow sleeves fits into each combustion “can” in a combustor for a gas turbine engine. The flow sleeve is typically cylindrical, slides into the housing of the combustion can and surrounds the combustion liner of the can.
The flow sleeve remains in a fixed position within the housing of the combustion can during operation of the gas turbine engine. The flow sleeve is removed or installed while the engine is shut down. To install or remove the flow sleeve, the sleeve is slid out of an opened end of the housing for the combustion can.
Removal of the flow sleeve was conventionally performed by technicians attaching brackets to the end of the sleeve and sliding the sleeve out from the casing of the gas turbine engine. The technicians may apply to the end of a flow sleeve a bracket, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,782,865. They push or pull on the bracket to insert or extract the flow sleeve. The bracket may connect to a lift that assists in supporting the bracket and flow sleeve.